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Portland, Oregon Church - Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |
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SUBJECT: Angels
QUESTION: In the ICG Statement of Beliefs and Doctrinal Statements on Angels it is stated that angels help the firstfruits to Salvation. Could you show how this is true?
ANSWER:
We believe that the angels of God are present at all times throughout the Earth and the universe for that matter. When we have the blessing of the children in our church, we ask that God set His angels about the children to protect them throughout their lives. As you will read below, there is enough in the scriptures to show that angels do God's will and a part of that is to protect those He wishes protected. We can call upon God to give us protection and He can set these angels about us.
The description of most angels is that of human form though no passage ever describes them in female form. There is indication that not all angels have the same form and some may resemble or take other forms. The most intriguing scripture about angels is Hebrews 13 and verse 2:
Angels are among us:
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Note: Clearly angels are around us and among us. Above all, we
know that angels are God's and that they do His will. Clearly it is
God’s will for the firstfruits now and ultimately for everyone to enter
into the Kingdom and have eternal life. It would seem Spiritually
logical that since angels do God’s bidding and that His foremost plan is
to have all humans in His kingdom that He would help those humans out
with everything He had including angels.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Note: He gave His Son. This shows His absolute commitment to His Plan of Salvation. God wants everyone in the Kingdom:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Note: If God is not willing that any should perish but have salvation and be in the Kingdom of God (His family), would it not follow that God would use His angels in making this desire so?
A definitive verse:
Hebrews 1:7, 14 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Note: Here God plainly states that He sends angels to minister to the heirs of salvation. What could be more clear? The word “minister” here means, “to furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer”. They do these things in our lifelong process of Salvation.
VERSES SHOWING RELATION OF ANGELS WITH HUMANS AND SALVATION
Angels concerned about our salvation
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Note: Clearly angels are concerned about humans and since repentance is a chief element of salvation, it follows that they are concerned for our salvation.
The Law, a chief element of salvation given by angels—3 verses
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
An angel goes with Isaac and family to prosper their way.
Genesis 24:40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
Note: Would God not allow this today?
An angel assigned to Israel after the giving of the law and the Holy Days (a part of the Salvation Process):
Exodus 23:20, 23 20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Note: Israel had been given the law. Law is important to Salvation. Here an angel is assigned to “keep thee in the way (cut off enemies)”.
An angel drives away enemies:
Exodus 33:2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Note: Do not angels protect God’s people today? Why would God change? Is He not the same today, yesterday and forever?
The ministrations of angels common in the time of the patriarchs
1 Kings 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. Commentary:
[An angel touched him] The friendly ministration of angels, common in the time of the patriarchs (Genesis 18:2-16; 19:1-22; 28:12; 32:1,24-29), and known also under the Judges (Judges 6:11-21; 13:3-20), was now extended to Elijah. Any other explanation of this passage does violence to the words. It is certainly not the intention of the writer to represent Elijah as relieved on this occasion by a human "messenger." ~from Barnes' Notes
Note: God continues here with help from angels.
A promise by God that angels are always near:
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Note: Is this verse not valid today for those firstfruits with the Holy Spirit in them who continue in the Salvation Process?
God has unnumbered thousands (millions) of angels. What are they for?
Psalm 68:17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
Note: These angels guard the Holy Place. Here is commentary on the numbers:
Psalm 68:17 [Even thousands of angels] Margin, "many thousands." The Hebrew is, "thousands repeated," or "multiplied." There is in the Hebrew no mention of angels. The Septuagint and the Vulgate render it, "thousands of the rejoicing;" that is, thousands of happy attendants. The original, however, would most naturally refer to the chariots, as being multiplied by thousands. ~from Barnes' Notes
Note: God has millions of angels and a part of their duty is to do those things that make God’s Plan of Salvation Work. That is, God assigns them to duties within the scope of His Plan. Remember that there are other angels (demons) which would like to disrupt the plan. (read Hebrews 12:22 and Job 25:3 if you desire the number of angels there are)
God gives his angels charge over His people
Psalm 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Notice the commentary:
[For he shall give his angels charge over thee] literally, "He will give 'command' to his angels." That is, he would instruct them, or appoint them for this purpose. This passage (Psalm 91:11-12) was applied to the Saviour by the tempter. Matthew 4:6. See the notes at that passage. This, however, does not prove that it had an original reference to the Messiah, for even if we should suppose that Satan was a correct and reliable expounder of the Scriptures, all that the passage would prove as used by him would be, that the righteous, or those who were the friends of God, might rely confidently on his protection, and that Jesus, if he was of God, might do this as others might. On the sentiment in the passage, to wit, that God employs his angels to protect his people, see the notes at Psalms 34:7; compare the notes at Hebrews 1:14.
[To keep thee in all thy ways] To preserve thee wheresoever thou goest. ~from Barnes' Notes
Note: This verse is a fact and a promise to all of God’s people.
An interesting scripture showing where angels are:
Ecclesiastes 5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Note: Who is the sinner talking to about his sin? Is it not within his mind or before God? Yet the verse clearly shows that angels are present. What are they doing there unless it had something to do with the sinner. This is after all a verse which applies to firstfruits as much as anyone else.
An angel shuts lion’s mouths:
Daniel 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Note: Do angels not protect today?
An angel comes to Cornelius in a vision:
Acts 10:3-4 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
Note: Are we to think that God did this only in the early days of the church? Remember that the book of Acts is the only unfinished book of the Bible.
An angel releases Peter from prison:
Acts 12:7-8 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
Note: Again, is this absolutely impossible to imagine today? Notice by what means these angels came in (read verse 5).
A definitive verse:
Hebrews 1:7, 14 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Note: Here God plainly states that He sends angels to minister to the heirs of salvation. What could be more clear? The word “minister” here means, “to furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer”. They do these things in our lifelong process of Salvation.
Angels will be sent to show God’s servants which will be done.
Revelation 22:6---speaking of the New Jerusalem And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Note: Needless to say, we see evidence of this from Genesis to Revelation. All of these events are part and parcel of the Salvation of mankind.
Angels execute the desires of God:
Psalm 103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Note: What is God’s pleasure? Is the salvation of man His pleasure?
In the blessing of children, which we perform once a year, generally at the Feast of Tabernacles, we ask that angels be set about them to protect them and bring them to adulthood in the truth of God.
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Note: Whether you believe that “their angels” are individual angels or angels which watch over the children as a group (we believe the former), the fact remains that angels are involved even with the children of the firstfruit saints. Based on the other scriptures above, they continue to minister to the heirs of salvation.
God is about His people:
Psalm 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Note: Just how is the Lord about His people? For what purpose? For what ultimate purpose? Does this verse, based on Hebrews 1 and Ps. 103 (mentioned above) not fully imply that part of the means by which the Lord is round about his people is by and with angels? We believe clearly that this is the case.
CONCLUSION:
God knew before the world was created that He would call us according to John 6:44 (Ephesians 1:4 and 2 Timothy 1:9). He had a plan. God created angels to carry out whatsoever He desires. God made man for the expressed purpose of bringing them as spirit beings into His Family. God states that He wants all humans in His Kingdom, not willing that any should perish. He gave His only begotten Son to this purpose. He states in His Word (which is the mind of God) that He puts His angels about the heirs of salvation.
When God calls a person to the Salvation through His calling to repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6), he or she enters into the Salvation process, which has several elements including but not limited to:
So, what is the definition of the Salvation Process?
It is a commitment to a way of Christian life in which one is actively:
1) keeping the Law and commandments. 2) invoking the Principles of God which the Laws of God point to (Galatians 5:22-23). 3) overcoming sin....making progress...stopping the sin process before it begins....controlling the mind. 4) becoming more like Jesus Christ. 5) going on to perfection (Hebrews 6) 6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining to the first commission of spreading the gospel and the second commission of feeding the flock. 7) maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ. 8) having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 1:21; John 14:1; 1 John 2:23-24)
God uses angels to protect these called out, firstfruit saints as they proceed through the process. They are present as they go through this daily and lifelong process. God uses them for many purposes as shown in the Word of God. All of these are done to aid the person in the Salvation Process. |
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Portland, Oregon Church - Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |